Green Tea: Nature's Deodorizer

One of our beverages of choice is iced green tea, both for taste and also for its antioxidant qualities. In fact, we're brewing up a pot right now (we're crazy about Arbor Teas' Citrus Ginger Green Tea with a little bit of white honey, then iced). After finishing using them for our drinks, we've been throwing the tea leaves into the compost, as the nitrogen rich matter makes for a great addition into the mix. But another idea is saving these used tea leaves, drying them (especially in these warmer months) and reusing them for their odour-fighting properties around the home...

The very same substance that make green tea an excellent oxidant, catechin, also happens to be an antibacterial odour fighter. That means you can use the dried and crushed leaves as a carpet refresher; sprinkle and let flakes sit in the carpet for 10-15 minutes then vacuum up for a deodorized carpet. Use the tea leaves in your fridge, uncovered to allow the leaves to work their smell-busting magic.

You can also save used green tea bags as a hand wash; rubbing any surface with green tea will rid strong food smells better than just using soaps. Better yet (at least in our household), green tea leaves can be added to cat litter boxes to manage odours and bacterial growth, an excellent eco-friendly solution to a stinky problem. So enjoy a cup or more a day and save those leaves...they're good for the body and home.